Cap or closure for containers or tubes



Jan. 31, 1961 N. B. LERNER 2,969,896

CAP 0R cLosuRE FOR CONTAINERS 0R TUBES Filed oct. 28, 1957 alfanum,

CAP OR CLOSUR FOR CONTAINERS OR TUBES .Nathan B. Lerner, Chicago, Ill.,assigner to W. `Braun This invention relates to a cap or closure forcontainers, tubes, and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cap or closure forcontainers which may be positioned on the neck of the container to sealthe discharge end of the container and prevent discharge of the contentsthereof, and which cap or closure may be positioned to permit thecontents to be discharged through said closure or cap.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container closuremanufactured from resilient and llexible material which may be usedwithout a sealing `disc or liner and which is held in captive relationto the container .but `which may be moved to seal the discharge openingof the container to prevent the discharge of the container contents andwhichv may be moved in relation to ,the container to unseal thedischarge opening and permit the container contents to be dischargedthrough said container closure. l

Another object is to provide a container closure integrally molded lfromresilient and flexible material provided with internal threads whichengage the threads on the neck of the container in such a seal tight trelationship as to prevent the container contents from ever passingthrough the engaged threads.

Another object is to provide in combination a container having athreaded neck portion and a closure or cap having an internally threadedportion in engagement with the container neck, in which the cap is heldcaptive to the container neck but which is provided with meanspermitting the container contents to be discharged through the closure,and in which either the threaded neck member of the container or theclosure member is formed of a -resilient and exible material with theopposite member having a threaded portion formed of rigid material so asto permit engagement of the threads between the-two members in a sealtight fit to prevent the container contents from ever passing throughthe engaged threads.y

Another object of this invention is to provide a capor closure for aconventional tube containing paste material which is held captive tosaid tube at all times and provides a covering for the discharge end ofthe tube but which may be positioned to either seal the tube dischargeopening and prevent the discharge of the paste material or to unsealsaid discharge opening and permit the discharge of the' paste materialthrough said cap or closure.

Closures or caps now used to seal or close the tubes of tooth p-aste andother containers are completely removed from the neck of the tube orcontainer to expose y the discharge end and while thus removed becomelost or become unsanitary due t-o contamination with their temporaryplaced position. Furthermore, the discharge end-of the `tube orcontainer is completely uncovered and exposed, also resulting in anunsanitary condition. With this invention all of the foregoingobjections are elimi- `nated in that the cap or closure is held captive`to the tube or container yet may be positioned inV relationto the`discharge end of the tube or container to seal or unseal United StatesPatent "ice the discharge end and permit the paste or other material tobe discharged through the cap or closure when in unsealed positionwithout exposing the discharge end of the tube or container. The cap orcontainer of this invention may be economically and eliiciently producedand applied at a cost no greater than the present day caps or closures.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view lof the cap or'closure of this inventionapplied to a toothpaste tube.

Fig. 2 is 4an enlarged top view of the cap.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2, showingthe cap in elevated position to permit the v contents of the tube to bedischarged.

Fig; 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the cap in closedposition to seal the discharge opening of the tube to prevent dischargeof the tube contents.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view takenl from the rear of thedischarge end of the cap.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cap or closure with amodified form of discharge spout.

Fig. 7 is a plan view taken on lines 7-7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified form of constructionin which the container neck is provided with an annular shoulder forholding the closure in captive relation.

The structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5 will be lirst described. The cap orclosure, generally indicated at 10, is molded preferably of a resilientplastic material, such -as polyethylene, plasticized nylon, plasticizedacrylic resins, plasticized vinyl resins, and-the like, andis adapted tofit over the neck of any conventional tube or container containingmaterial to be dispensed. While the invention is illustrated inconnection with a tube it will be understood that this invention isequally applicable to other types of containers formed of glass,plastic, or the like, for containing liquids and other types ofmaterials to be dispensed.

As illustrated, the conventional tube or container generally indicatedat 12, has a neck portion 14, a portion of which is provided with ahelical thread 16. The neck above and below the threaded portions aredesignated at 18 and 20 respectively and same have a smooth surface,notbeing threaded. The neck is'provided with a discharge opening 22communicating with the interior of the tube through which the contentsof the tube are discharged. The tube 12 just described is conventionalin the art and no invention is claimed therein.

The cap or closure 10 forming this invention is adapted to be applied tothe neck of the tube so that once attached thereto it is held in acaptive relation thereto, that is, it m-ay be rotated with respect tothe neck for opening and closing the discharge opening 22 of the tubebut may not be separated from the neck. The cap or closure comprises atubular body portion 24 having a gradually inclined wall 2-6. The loweror skirt portion 28 of the cap flares outwardly from the body 24 of thecap. The body 24 has an internal helically threaded portion 29 and theinternal wall of the skirt portion adjacent the mouth thereof isprovided with an annular bead or ring 30, providing a smooth internalspace or surface 32 between the lower end of thread 29 and the ring 30.f

. .Extending across the body 24 at the top thereof is a aseo-,sos

3 said sealing portion 38 having a line sealing contact with the inneredge of the neck 14.

A portion of the annular wall portion 40 hasua slot 42 whichcommunicates with a rectangular@shaped` duct 44 formed by molding thecap to provide an innervertical wall 46 and an outer spaced Vverticalwall 4S and spaced vertical side walls 50. The inner vertical wall 46extends upwardly from the depressed top` portion -36 and terminatesabove the top portion The outer 'spaced vertical wall 4S extendsupwardly from the cap portion 34 and merges with a vertical wall portion49 extending upwardly from the skirt 28 alongy the body oh-one Ysidethereof, as best seen in Fig. 4. The vertical sidewalls 50 extend abovethe top portion 34 ofthe cap and are full width above the top portion.3'4 but arereducedin width where they merge with 'the annular body 24down to the skirt 28 of the cap. The outer surface of the circular bodyis knurled as at 52. The entire cap structure is integrally formedandmolded as an integral unit. The upper surface 45 of the top of duct44 which is the discharge endV of the cap is downwardly inclined at anangle, as best seen in Figs. 3 Vand 4, away from the body 24. -4

The cap is integrally secured `to 'the neck of the-'tube by rotating thecap clockwise with 'respectto the Vneck to allow the beaded or annularring 30`of the cap to be positioned in the space 2i) between the bottomof the.

thread 16 and the lower end of fthe'neck. Whilethe inner periphery ofthe bead 'or lring 3l) is inward o'f the outer edges of the threads161of the vneck of the tube,'th'e character of the plastic material fromwhich the y"cap :is made will permit the cap to fgivev'suiciently topermit the bead or ring 30 to p'asso'ver the threads16Tvt'fherninitially securing the cap ltet-the n'e'ckoftlfe tube -Hower, nce thisr cap is thus'sec'ur'ed't'o the A'I1 Eik," ring will bepositioned inwardly c"of the outer 'edges 'of the threads 16 an'dfwill"engagethe lowerrnost portion or" the thread 16 to hold the cap captiveon the neck and prevent removal therefrom. The Vcap may however berotated counterclockwi'se s'uiciently to permit raising the cap in thespace 20 of the neck Ysufficiently to uncover the discharge opening 42inthe neck of the tube for discharge of the tube contents through theduct 44.

In Fig. 3 the cap 10 vis shown A,in closed position, that is, with thesealing portion 38 of the cap extending partially into the vdischargeopening k22 and closing the discharge opening 2-2 'in the neckoft-hetube toprevent any`discharge of 'the contents of the tube. To permitthe contents of the tube to be squeezed out or discharged, the cap 10 isr`otated counterclockwise to elevate it slightly from the top opening22'of the neck, as best shown in Fig. 3. The sealing portion `38 willthen be positioned above vthe neck of the tube andthe boss 38 will serveto guide the paste to the slot 42 and duct 44. In this position the tubewhen squeezed will iforce the contents through the slotted opening 42into the duct 44 of the cap and 'outwardly thereof through the top `ofthe duct. 4The shape of the duct 44 and the inclined ftopils' of theduct 44 will'cause the squeezed material to move outwardly laterally ofthe top of the duct 'in a ribbon form and lie rspread ii'at on thetoothbrush. The cap is held captive and cannot be Unthreaded or yremovedfrom the neck of the tube.

There is thus provided a cap or closure for. tubes of toothpaste orother paste-like products which are, held captive to the tube but whichmay be rotated to 'seal or Vunseal the tube opening and "to permitdischarge ofthe paste material through 'the duct of the cap when samehas been moved' relation to :the dischar.'geopening in the neck tounseal Isaine, yet at all times proyidinga covering foi thef dischargeopehing Y22 -infth'eneck of the tube. lThe cap may i in lieu of presentday conventional caps.v f i The resilient and ilexible material fromwhich the-cap or closure is made permits the threaded portion' 29 of beformed inexpensively and AVused the body of the cap to engage thesubstantially rigid threads 16 of the neck of the tube in such a sealtight t so as to prevent the paste material discharged from the tubefrom ever passing through the engaging threads 29 and 16, therefore thedischarged paste can only move upwardly through the `discharge duct 44.Furthermore, the characteristics of the cap material permits the captobe used without employing sealing discs or liners.

While the invention here illustrated shows the cap formed of a plasticmaterial which is resilient and ilexible it will be understood that ifthe threaded neck portion of the container is formed of such aresilient, and exible material that the cap may be formed of a rigidmaterial and the seal tight t between the engaging threads will likewisebe effected.

The closure or cap may be made of any size to lit over a containerhaving a threaded neck portion, which neck portion has a much largerdiameter than that shown. This is particularly true -in containers whichcontain liquids. However, a cap or closure formed in accordance withthis invention may be there employed and it will operate in the samemanner as herein disclosed.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form of spout for the cap or closure. Thecap or closure shown in this modification is principally for containerscontaining liquids and the like. In this modification the cap or closurewhich lis indicated generally at 56 is formed like that previously-described except that instead of a rectangular shaped duct aspreviously described there is provided a circular opening 58 in theannular wall portion 40a of the cap which communicates with a circularduct 60 which forms the discharge outlet of the closure. The duct 60 'istapered to provide a reduced end 62 at the vupper discharge end. The topof the discharge outlet is downwardly inclined at an angle as at 64 tofacilitate thedis charge` of the liqid'away'lfrom the closure.

Fig.' 8 shows a modified construction in which the threaded neck V16a ofthe container is provided with an annular shoulder 66 below the threadedportion of the neck. Said shoulder has a tapered portion 67 and ahorizontal portion 68. The closure 10a is formed as previouslydescribed. However; the annular bead or ring 30a of the closure willafter theclosure is initially applied engage the flat portion 68 of theshoulder on the neck of the container to hold it 1in captiverelationship with 4the container.

It will be understood that various changes' and lmodifications rnay bemade from the foregoing without depart ing from the rspirit and scope ofthe appended claims'.

1. A one piece capfor a container for material, which container has athreaded neck portion and vdischarge opening therein, said Athreadedportion terminating below saidv discharge opening to provide anunthreadedI wall portion, said lcap being formed of substantiallyresilient material and having a continuous and uninterrupted 'tubu-Yla'rzbody provided with a continuous and uninterrupted threadcooperating with the threaded neck and having an Unthreaded portionabove said threaded portion for cooperating vwith the unthreaded wallportion, a top portion extending across the tubular body and having 'acentral boss for engaging the container neck portion to obtain a4liners/'eal with said neck portion, said cap having.

a slot laterally of saidV sealing -boss and at the upper end of ,thetubular body beyond the thread onsaid tubular body, and a dischargespout laterally of said sealing boss and eiit'endingv axially andoutwardly beyond the top of .said cap and in `eoritrnunication with said'slot to permit ydiscliarge of the material Vthioughsaid spout when thecapis partially unthreaded.

`2. A yone Ypieize Ac ap'ffor a container for materiaL-which containerhas -a threaded neck portion and discharge opening therein, ysaidl`cap"b'eing -form'ed of substantially resilient material and :having Aacontinuous vand runinterrupted tubular body provided with a continuousand u11- interrupted thread cooperating with the threaded neck, a topportion formed integrally with said cap and extending across the tubularbody and having a central boss for engaging the container neck portionto obtain a line seal with said neck portion, said cap having a slotlaterally and above said sealing boss and at the upper end of thetubular body beyond the thread on said tubular body, and a dischargespout laterally of said sealing boss and extending axially and outwardlybeyond the top of said cap and in communication with said slot to permitdischarge of the material through saidspout when the cap is partiallyUnthreaded.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ShermanAug. 21,

Koller May 12,

Clark Mar. 1,

Quinche et al. Ian. 14,

Gardner Mar. 17,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 12,

